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Luxury Kruger Safari

Mopani Camp Kruger National Park

(South Africa National Parks)

Mopani Camp enquiries and reservations: bookkruger@madbookings.com

Every effort has been made to ensure that the thatched buildings, with their rock faced walls, and surrounding paving, blend into the bushveld environment.

All the buildings at Mopani Camp are built from natural materials such as rough stone, wood and thatching-grass, which blends them in beautifully with the environment.

Mopani Rest Camp Accommodation

The modern-looking Mopani Camp offers comfortable self-catering chalets and fully equipped cottages as well as a luxury guesthouse.

- 45 bungalows with kitchenette
- 12 cottages with kitchenette
- 45 guest cottages with 3 bedrooms
- 1 guest house – Xanatseni

The Xaxanetsi Guesthouse at Mopani Restcamp,sleeps 8 guests in 4 rooms. It has a magnificent waterfront view over the dam. The large living room area is equipped with satellite TV, and the modern kitchen is fully equipped.

There are also 45 airily spaced 6-bedded guest cottages. The guest cottages 3 bedrooms each fitted with 2 single beds. There are 2 en-suite bathrooms and each cottage is fully equipped and fitted with a kitchen, lounge / dining area, a large veranda and an outside braai (barbeque).

There are also 12 luxury Kruger Park cottages available. These cottages are fitted with 4 beds. One room is fitted with 2 single beds while 2 sleeper couches are available in the lounge. This comfortable accommodation in Kruger National Park is fully equipped and feature 2 bathrooms, of which 1 is en-suite. The cottage also features a veranda, kitchenette and outside braai (barbeque).

The 45 bungalows consist of 43 four bed units and 2 wheelchair accessible units. All the bungalows are fitted with one bathroom, veranda and kitchenette. There is also an outside braai (barbeque).
Summary of Accommodation & Lodging Guide:

Bungalows:
4 beds (one twin-bedded room, 2 bunk beds in alcove), one bathroom, veranda with kitchenette and outside braai (barbeque).

Cottages:
4 beds (one room with 2 single beds, 2 sleeper couches in lounge), two bathrooms, veranda with kitchenette and outside braai (barbeque).

Guest Cottages:
6 beds (three rooms each fitted with 2 single beds, one en-suite bathroom), two bathrooms, kitchen, lounge / dining area, large veranda and outside braai (barbeque).

Xanatseni Guest House:
8 beds 1 room with a double bed, 2 single beds in other rooms), large lounge / dining room and kitchen, outside covered bar and veranda area with view of the dam, also there are braai (barbeque) facilities.

Mopani Camp also boasts a unique sleep over hide from their accommodation in Kruger National Park.
Shipandane functions as a bird hide during the day, but can be reserved at a nominal fee from half an hour before gates close until half and hour after gates opens. The hide has 6 fold-down beds, an eco-toilet and a small boma with barbeque facilities to enhance Kruger Park nightlife.

Why choose Mopani Rest Camp?
- Enjoy a rich game viewing experience without even leaving the camp
- Abundant waterbird viewing over Pioneer Dam
- Mopani has a fascinating historical and archaeological interest
- A unique 'sleep-over' game viewing hide
- Game drives and bush walks conducted by experienced guides and trackers

Mopani Camp facilities and amenities include:
- electricity
- air-conditioning
- restaurant and bar
- self-service and take-aways at the cafeteria
- a fuel station
- a laundromat and irons
- a shop (enjoy shopping in Kruger Park)
- information centre
- braai (barbecue) facilities.
- Information at Reception
- Public Telephones
-·Post Box
- Basic First Aid Assistance
- Restaurant
- Ladies Bar
- Cafeteria/Coffee Shop
- Shop
- Emergency Road Service*
- Petrol Station
- Laundromat
- DSTV Only Available in Guest Houses
- Conference Capacity
- Picnic Facilities

On payment of deposit, bedding and a picnic basket with cutlery and crockery will be provided. Just remember to bring your own water and wood when arriving at the hide.

The area is rich in plant species like the Mopane Shrub, Red Bushwillow Trees and Sweet Grass, providing rich grazing for Impala, Warthog, Elephant and Buffalo. Mopani Camp is 47 kilometres (29 miles) from the Letaba Rest Camp and 65 kilometres (40 miles) from Shingwedzi Rest Camp. The nearest gate is the Phalaborwa Gate - 74 kilometres (46 miles) away.

Activities:
An in-camp trail offers many opportunities to spot the prolific and beautiful birdlife on your Kruger National Park vacation.
- Afternoon Walk, Dawn Drive, Morning Walk, Sunset Drive, Night Drive
- Enjoy a short walk to the Pioneer Dam
- A ladies bar is available
- Visit the heritage sites
- Swimming pool for the enjoyment of residents

Night drives enable you to take part in the nightlife activities of Kruger's secretive creatures in the company of experienced guides and trackers.
Guided bush walks, in the company of trained field guides with backup rifles, take groups of up to 8 people out into the bush for a few hours. Track Rhino, Elephant and Lion on foot and learn and observe fascinating facts about the African bush.
By relaxing at the look out point or on the terrace of Mopani Camp's safari room you can enjoy game viewing without even having to leave the camp, during the course of your Kruger National Park vacation.
The safari room also boasts a ladies bar, television and fireplace. Enjoy a short walk to the Pioneer Dam. Mopani Camp boasts a swimming pool, for the use of resident visitors as well as a walking trail.

Visitors to Mopani Camp have the unique opportunity of taking one of the Kruger Park guided tours and day trips to the Shilowa heritage sites, right on the Tropic of Capricorn along the Park's eastern boundary.

Please Note:
If you must walk around at night please do not do so without a torch.

Game:
The dense mopane veld around Mopani Camp has an unfair reputation for being a poor game area. In truth there is actually very little that cannot be seen in this habitat.
In fact, a person can simply sit at the lookout point in camp, or at the nearby balcony of the ladies bar, and be treated to a constant stream of animals such as Hippo, Waterbuck, Impala, Warthog, Elephant, Buffalo and even Lion.

The Tropic of Capricorn loop and the Nshawu pans are an excellent area to see game as there are some open plains that host species such as Blue Wildebeest, Burchell's Zebra, Buffalo and the rarer Tsessebe.
Black-backed Jackal and caracal are some of the smaller more unusual species to look out for on your Kruger National Park vacation.

Birding Attractions in Kruger Park:
The camp overlooks the Pioneer Dam where a plethora of water birds are to be seen. Storks, egrets, kingfishers and African Fish Eagles are ever present while Redwinged Pratincole, African Spoonbill, Blackwinged Stilt and Whitewinged Tern are some of the more uncommon species to watch for.

History of Mopani Camp:
Vacation visitors to Mopane Camp have the unique opportunity of taking guided tours and day trips to the Shilowa heritage sites, which lies right on the Tropic of Capricorn along the Kruger National Parks eastern boundary. The so-called First Site traces a history of human occupation of the period between 1200 AD and 1600 AD.

Archaeologists were guided to the site by the change in the grass species, symptomatic of an alteration in the chemical composition of the soil caused by the 2 metre deep ash deposits in the area.

The second site dates back to the late 1700s when the Pedi inhabited the area. Chief Shilowa, who owed allegiance to the Tsonga chief Gugunyane, lead an attack around 1800, driving the Pedi out.

It is commonly believed that the Tsonga moved in to take over the site, due to its well situated water supply and ready access to trade routes. As the 19th century wore on, African tribes expanded their trade in copper, iron, ivory and gold, exchanging goods with the Voortrekkers, traders, hunters and fortune seekers that began to move into the area.

How to get there:
Travel routes and times from Johannesburg/Pretoria:
Phalaborwa Gate:
Take the N1 toll-road to Polokwane (Pietersburg). Forty kilometres (24 miles) before Polokwane turn right onto the R71 and head for Tzaneen. After Tzaneen head towards Phalaborwa and the gate. Allow between 6 to 7 hours for the trip to the gate.

Mopani Main Rest Camp is 74 kilometres (45 miles) away from the gate. Allow about 3 hours for the drive to the camp, however, if you want to enjoy the game viewing possibilities, give yourself more time.

There are regular domestic flights to and from the Phalaborwa Kruger Park Gateway Airport which lies just 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from the Phalaborwa entrance gate.

Climate:
Kruger National Park in South Africa is in a summer rainfall area. Such precipitation is usually convectional and can result in heavy downpours. The summer months (October to April) are hot and often balmy. Winters are warm and mild, although visitors going on night drives will require warm clothing.

Vegetation:
Mopani is situated at the transition zone between granite /gneiss soils to the west and basalt soils to the east. The former hosts a combination of mixed bush willow, silver cluster-leaf and tree and shrub mopane, while the latter combines apple-leaf with shrub mopane. Large knob-thorn, tamboti and leadwood are found along the drainage lines.

Mopani Camp enquiries and reservations: bookkruger@madbookings.com